A/N: Hmm, not too much to say this time around. This chapter took longer than I thought because I went through a couple of iterations. The main idea in the chapter near the end is really what convinced me to write this story in the first place because it resonated with me. Thanks for the follows, favorites, and reviews.
Thanks to rEpose for being my beta reader and greyarts for listening to my rampant ideas about this story.
Reader Reviews:
Ari Moriarty: Thank you, for the reviews. I tried to capture Aigis' voice from P3 when she is most robotic. Basically, when the party first meets her. Also, I'm glad you like my literary voice! Hopefully, I can continue to craft a half-decent story.
Sillyfudgemonkeys: Thanks for the review and hopefully this chapter will explain why his mind changed so fast though you seemed to enjoy the earlier chapters. Hopefully, this chapter will sow the seeds for the rest of the story.
Updated to fix the grammar issues, many thanks to my beta.
Final Update: Cleaned for formatting issues 7/6/2014
Prologue Part 3: Fragments
Date Unknown (The Velvet Room)
Minato P.O.V.
The room came into focus as a familiar voice beckoned to Minato. An ethereal light caused him to squint, as Igor's long nose and bloodshot eyes came into focus. It seemed Minato was back in the Velvet Room, which had hardly changed since his last visit.
The only difference was that Elizabeth wasn't present, but instead someone he didn't recognize.
In Elizabeth's place was a woman with silvery hair and a deep blue dress that matched the décor of the Velvet Room. The gentle waves of her hair gleamed in the light as the elevator ascended. She looked calm and cool as she stood in the Velvet Room, like it was where she naturally belonged. However, her sharp golden eyes fixed on Minato's face made him a bit uncomfortable.
"I am delighted that you have returned to us," Igor said, raising his white-gloved hand. "This is Margaret. She is my new assistant."
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Elizabeth's elder sister" she said, and for a second Minato felt that she gave him a small smile, but it was a fleeting moment."
"What happened to Elizabeth?" asked Minato, turning to Igor, as he didn't want to appear impolite by staring at Margaret. Minato fidgeted a bit with his chair because it seemed less comfortable than he remembered.
"It is a story that I can explain to you another time, but rest assured that you will see her again. Now, I am sure that you wondering about the events that you have seen in such a short frame of time," Igor intoned. "I will do my best to answer your queries."
Minato didn't know really where to begin, but thought that the beginning was as good of a place to start. His memories seemed fragmented before he had gotten to the Velvet Room. However, things seemed much clearer in his head now.
"Why did the Great Seal melt away?" was the most pertinent thing that Minato could think of asking.
"How much do you remember when you were the Great Seal?" Igor answered Minato with another question instead of an answer, which annoyed Minato a little.
"I remember how just as I was about to become the seal my friends seemed to appear. They fought Erebus and won. I could sense everything that was going on even if it was a bit murky at the time," Minato recollected.
"The seal dissolved because it required a life essence that is infallible to its duty. In your case, to impede humanity from calling forth Erebus, who in turn calls forth Nyx. Unfortunately, the sudden appearance of your friends caused your will to temporarily waver," Igor said.
"I didn't expect to see my friends there," Minato said. "It confused me as I was sure they were still at Tartarus' apex," Minato added.
"But why do I even know about what happened Igor? Why should I know about anything after I became the seal?"
"Do you remember what I said when you first arrived at the Velvet Room?" Igor asked patiently.
"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter…" Minato recited. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"When your friends decided to go back in time, they temporarily merged their consciousness with yours," Igor explained. "As a result, the flow of time stopped and you became aware of their actions. The fabric of their memories was sewn inside your soul, and when you entered the Velvet Room their memories became yours."
"Their actions have unintentionally altered your destiny, yet maybe these turn of events occurred for a reason," Igor added with a slight grin.
The word "destiny" made something in Minato's mind slip. It seemed "destiny" was the cause of everything terrible that had happened to him.
"Are you saying that I should have just ignored them and pretended nothing was happening while I was losing my life?" Minato's voice was rising in anger. "I didn't deserve any of your so-called 'destiny,' and they didn't deserve to leave thinking that everything was fine!" He rose from his seat and looked for a way to leave; he had heard enough.
"You are angry and that is understandable, but hear the rest of what my master has to say." Margaret had risen from her seat. Her aura was overwhelming as she instructed him to take his seat again.
After a few moments Minato managed to calm down and sat down again. Was he always this irascible? Usually, he was laid back to a fault, but something was different now.
"I, I… was alone," Minato slowly mumbled, "Why me? I didn't have any special ability before that incident. Why should I bear the burden of so many people who I don't even know or care about?"
Igor continued as if nothing had happened.
"You failed to mention the latter part of what I said when we first met," he said. "Only those who have signed the contract may enter this place, which means that your original contract has not expired yet. I was sure you would return when the contract did not vanish when you became the seal.
A shrug of the shoulders was all Minato offered and this seemed to light a fire in Igor.
"You returned here for a reason!" Igor animatedly told him. "It is crucial that you understand this fact. The full power of the Wild Card that you used had the power to bring about a new beginning, or an ultimate end. I think you can see now that it was the former and not the latter."
Minato continued to listen.
"I am certain you are beginning to understand the fragments now. There is another reason that the seal broke. I am referring to the change in your mentality," Igor succinctly said. "You no longer have the power of the Wild Card as you used all of it in becoming the seal. However, your current situation is one that you must bear responsibility for."
He brought out a Tarot card that Minato had seen many times before in his social links. It was the Hanged Man Arcana, but the image was upside down.
"The Hanged Man Arcana in the upright position represents self-sacrifice for the sake of enlightenment, the bindings that makes one free, paradoxes and hanging between heaven and earth. It can represent ultimate altruism and the self-sacrifice one must make to save or redeem another, all in the name of greater good," stated Igor.
"Wait!" Minato exclaimed. "Do you mean to say that I no longer have the Fool Arcana? The description you just said sounds too similar to what happened in the last battle. Self-sacrifice for the greater good and hanging between heaven and earth," Minato said to no one in particular.
"If you need further proof look at the chair you are sitting in," Igor indicated.
Minato turned around in his seat and noticed that the chair was no longer that of a lyre, but a regular design. The lyre had represented his connection with Orpheus and indicated his affinity for the Fool Arcana.
Igor continued his explanation. "However, the current position of this card indicates your current mentality that you must have started to notice already. When you fought the Arcana Hanged Man the shadow was in the air, for it refused to help others, preferring to stay egotistical and selfish."
The sudden reality of the situation began to set in for Minato. He began to understand the bitterness he felt for his friends and not wanting to help people who otherwise would be obliterated by Nyx. Igor had said he had returned for a reason, though Minato was unsure what could be done at this point.
"Am I able to change my mindset Igor?" Minato asked.
"The facing of the card is not permanent and will switch according to how well you can control it," was Igor's reply.
"When you say the facing of the card do you mean I can only summon persona of the Hanged Man Arcana now?" Minato asked with some dread.
"Yes, you no longer have the power of the Wild Card and I must warn you that your current power is a double-edged sword. You must take precaution in keeping it under control. However, I am sure that you will find a use for both sides of your power."
"What am I supposed to do? If I'm no longer the seal there is nothing blocking Nyx from being called again, is there?" Minato asked.
In the back of Minato's mind he recalled what had happened just before he had returned to the Velvet Room. The girl, would she be the one that would end up sacrificing herself to stop Nyx?
"Before I forget I have to ask you about what I saw just before I got here. That was my past, yet I saw someone I never met," Minato recalled. "Is she somehow related to me? She was with my parents the day they died."
"I am not certain why your memories of the past would be altered. I can offer a hypothesis that she is your replacement," Igor theorized. "If that makes her your sister I do not know.
"So, she will go through exactly what I did in the past year when she grows up? Why can't anyone stop this from happening? She's going to suffer needlessly just because other people want to die," Minato could not believe what Igor had told him.
"It is your choice which path you choose as Erebus will return in one year to call forth Nyx again regardless of your decision. Your friends' victory was temporary."
"What do you mean that I have a choice Igor?" Minato was sure he wouldn't like the sound of what the choices would entail.
"You can decide to go back when you returned to Port Island. Or you could go back to the present," Igor said matter-of-factly. "The result of both choices as it stands is that Nyx will return unless you change it."
"What good can I possibly do? I no longer have the power to do anything. I might as well just stay here in ignorant bliss," Minato replied.
There was an awkward lull in the conversation.
Words formed in Minato's mind of what Nyx's Avatar had said at the last battle.
"You understand fate, yet you still fight against it with all your will… if more people were like you, then perhaps the Fall could have been prevented…"
He was just one person, what could Minato possibly do before the Fall came again?
"Would you be satisfied with that decision?" Igor stated in a flat voice. "I will support your decision, no matter what choice you make, though you will be the one that lives with the consequences."
Minato knew all too well what Igor was saying.
"If I return to the past, can I actually change anything?" This seemed like a naïve thing to repeat, but Minato wanted some assurance it would be worth going back if he did.
"You must be careful of what you alter, but I would imagine that opportunities will represent themselves in due time," Igor added with a bit of finality. "Your social links will not remember you, but you must find your way with the resources that you have."
Igor hoped that his guest would be willing to take advantage of the hand dealt by fate. Minato had been a remarkable guest and Igor wished the teen would make the right choice.
"Well then, I bid you farewell, my dear young man" Igor said.
The Velvet Room slowly faded from Minato's view.
He had made his decision.